Bridging the Talent Gap for a High-Demand API Platform

About the Client

Our client is a global leader in API management, providing a robust platform that accelerates digital transformation for enterprises of all sizes from high-growth startups to Fortune 100 companies. Their platform empowers organizations to unlock enterprise data, connect services, and build secure digital experiences for customers and partners.

With decades of industry trust, the company powers mission-critical API ecosystems for some of the world’s largest organizations. The client was listed on NASDAQ and was acquired by Google in 2016 for $625 million, strengthening their position as a category-defining API platform.

Business Requirement

Despite having a leading API platform and a strong internal team, the client struggled with:

• Long-standing staffing shortages

• Skill gaps in Ruby on Rails, a core component of several integrations required by their enterprise clients

• Operational bottlenecks that prevented them from scaling API delivery

• Aggressive project timelines that demanded rapid execution

The client needed a trusted technology partner who could:

1. Provide highly skilled engineers quickly

2. Navigate complex API development requirements

3. Integrate multiple third-party systems

4. Support continuous onboarding of new customers

5. Establish a long-term delivery model that could scale with demand

Recognizing our deep experience in Ruby on Rails, API architecture, and large-scale engineering augmentation, the client partnered with RailsFactory to close these gaps, build production-grade APIs, and keep their digital initiatives on track.

Challenges Faced

Operating in a rapidly evolving environment, the client’s team faced multiple operational and technical challenges:

Prioritizing & Scaling API Services

The demand for new APIs and enhancements kept growing, but the internal team lacked the bandwidth to keep pace.

Building a Secure, Controllable API Platform

Their customers required more advanced security models, improved governance, and seamless integrations, all while maintaining platform reliability.

Integrating with Multiple Third-Party Systems

Every customer brought a unique environment. The client's team needed help stitching these systems into the API platform with precision.

Continuous Customer Onboarding

With new clients joining every month, onboarding workflows were becoming increasingly complex and resource-heavy.

Limited In-House Expertise in Ruby on Rails

Several mission-critical services needed RoR development, but the client lacked experienced senior engineers in that tech stack.

Our Approach & Solution

Deep-Dive Assessment

When we first joined the project, our goal was to understand the client’s reality and not just what was documented. We spent the initial days working directly with their product and engineering teams, reviewing how APIs were being built, where delays were happening, and how onboarding workflows actually played out in practice.

This groundwork helped us see the exact points where capacity, process, and expertise were falling short.

Rapid Team Mobilization

Once the gaps were clear, we quickly assembled a cross-functional team tailored to the client’s needs. We filled their internal skill shortages by bringing in experienced RoR developers, API engineers, QA specialists, and technical analysts.

Within a short period, we put together a 30-member team supported by a senior program manager who had handled similar enterprise API programs before. The client needed speed, and our ability to ramp up fast became a key advantage.

End-to-End API Development

With the team in place, we immediately got to work on their highest-priority initiatives. One of the major milestones was building the reservation and fitness APIs for one of their important customers. The requirements were complex, and timelines were tight, but our engineers collaborated closely with the client’s architects to deliver secure, production-ready APIs on time.

Parallelly, we supported their ongoing customer onboarding efforts and strengthened key areas like API integrations, key management, and analytics.

Long-Term Delivery Partnership

As the engagement progressed, our role naturally shifted from execution to ownership. The client trusted us with critical parts of the platform, and our team became embedded in their process.

We monitored delivery pipelines, improved workflows, and ensured that new onboarding demands didn’t disrupt ongoing development. Over time, this turned into a stable, long-term partnership where our team acted as an extension of theirs.

Technologies Used

To support the client’s API development and integration requirements, our team worked across multiple technologies, including:

• Ruby on Rails – for core API development, backend services, and feature implementation

• Java – for integration components and platform-level services

• Python – for automation tasks, analytics scripts, and supporting services

Benefits Delivered to the Client

Our partnership resulted in measurable improvements across workflow, delivery time, and platform performance:

1. Faster Delivery of High-Quality APIs

From reservation systems to fitness APIs, we delivered complex builds on schedule, despite aggressive deadlines.

2. Stabilized and Scalable Engineering Capacity

The client’s team could ramp up or scale down seamlessly without disruption to ongoing projects.

3. Strong Security & Better API Governance

With improved key management and integration workflows, the client strengthened platform security and control.

4. Efficient Customer Onboarding

Our streamlined workflows reduced onboarding friction and improved the experience for new enterprise customers.

5. Continuous Support for Evolving Needs

The client gained a dependable technical partner capable of supporting long-term innovation and continuous enhancements.

Conclusion

As the engagement progressed, our role became less about filling seats and more about helping the client keep their projects moving without disruption. By stepping in, we helped our client maintain delivery momentum and continue supporting the growing demands of their customers.

What started as a short-term need gradually turned into a steady working relationship. With shared goals and a clear understanding of their technical landscape, we were able to support their teams consistently and help them uphold the strong reputation they’ve built in the API management space.